ThingsAmongMany

I got an email this morning from a reader, Danielle, who runs a boutique/gallery in Brooklyn called Fact & Fancy. A quick glance at her site reveals that her shop is likely well-worth a stop. I immediately recognized a couple of the designs that she’s featuring from my previous hunting. A couple of jewelry designers stood out in particular; the ZipTie ring from MetalNat made the rounds a while ago, and the pieces from Metalicious caught my eye recently when I stumbled onto their Supermarket shop.

And, to help you get through those last-minute holiday gifts, Fact & Fancy is holding a series of trunk shows with a variety of artists through next tuesday. Here’s the schedule:

RSVP to one or more of these shows by emailing
factandfancybrooklyn at gmail.com
and get a free gift!

jewelry by danielle maveal
friday dec.19th 6pm-8pm

fine art and ceramics by louche lab
saturday dec.20th 3pm-5pm

housewares by cakehouse
sunday dec.21st 3pm-5pm

felt & knit accessories by nguyen le
monday dec. 22nd 6pm-8pm

bags and wallets by callieco
tuesday dec.23rd 6pm-8pm

There’s something about the creative mind that’s always intriguing to me: it never settles. How many creatives do you know who are always looking for the next thing to keep them going? The next project to fill their time on the side? The next idea that will fulfill their creative aspirations in whatever manner their “creative” job can’t? I know quite a few.

That was the thought that crossed my mind a few weeks back when I met Yuyu Chen. We were introduced in much the same way that I meet just about everyone these days: beer in hand, through mutual friends. As our conversation progressed, Yuyu revealed a rather interesting background. She started as a graphic designer, graduating from the Academy of Art back in 2000. After a few years in the business, though, it seems that she had much the same realization that many of us do after leaving school…the real world just isn’t quite what we expected.

Which led Yuyu back to that haven we all seek when its time for a change. She recently graduated Parsons fashion design program and has been plying her new trade in the world of jewelry. According to an interview, the change was brought about by her interest in being more hands-on through the design process - an interest that I’ve heard from many digital designers.

Check out Yuyu’s work here, and keep an eye out for her as she continues to grow and explore her new field. I don’t think we’ve seen the end of her work by a long shot.

Pretty much anyone can fashion themselves as a designer these days. A little creativity and someone to make a website for you, and you’re all set (and to think, I just read an article about how the “creative class” is dying). So why should a surgeon be any different?

That’s where jewelry newcomer, Skeletal Metal was born. Yup, in the operating room. In the midst of setting a patient’s broken bone, the doctors who created this unique take on a jewelry line realized that the reconstruction plates they were bending to various shapes would make a pretty interesting ring. One of the doctors starting wearing his ring on a daily basis, and after being questioned right and left about where he got it, he decided there just might be something to this jewelry biz.

Despite the arguably creepy intended use of the metal, the jewelry line offers simple, clean lines that would appeal to most contemporary jewelry fans. So far, the company offers rings, bracelets, and earrings. Their website also lists a new line that’s supposed to be born in the near future. They’ve also got a rather impressive collection of x-ray imagery (as above) that shows off the jewelry next to its originally intended purpose.

Somewhere in my recent web travels, I came across byAMT Studio, the design entity of Alissia Melka-Teichroew (get it - “AMT”…). A graduate of both Design Academy Eindhoven and RISD, Alissia now calls Brooklyn home to both herself and her studio.

You’ll probably recognize some of her work. I know I’ve seen her Inside Out Glasses written up a number of times, and her new project, Tree Hooked has been making the rounds across design sites for the last couple of months.

I’m also a fan of her Diamond Ring, shown here in silver (also available in acrylic and gold). Seems like it could be the perfect “almost-gag-gift” for that loved one when you’re not quite ready for the real thing.

Alissia’s site photography by Lisa Klappe is also really impressive.

Ok, I’m torn. This is either taking things one step too far, or its a reasonably interesting gimmick for a new dating site. So what is Singelringen? Well, how about hearing it from the horse’s mouth…

Singelringen…recognized that although married people and engaged people have rings, there was nothing that allowed single men and women to clearly announce their status. Singelringen is a ring that proudly states “I am single”.

Ok, so a ring made to “declare your singleness” hit the corny chord pretty hard for me. BUT, they did add an interesting twist. Each ring comes engraved with a unique ID number. Once you get your ring, you can take your ID and register it at the Singleringen Community Page. Once you’re registered, you can browse and chat with other Singleringen wearers. So now we’ve got social declaration-cum-dating site all because you dropped $70 on a ring (which is a heck of a lot less than most online dating sites cost…or so I’ve heard). I’m still waiting for them to take it a step further and make the ring glow or heat up when you’re near someone else who’s wearing one.

No word yet on whether they make you send your ring back if you meet someone on their website.

How would you describe a kiss? What does it look like? How would you put it on paper? What form does it take? Jewelry designers Cheri&Theresa of Lola&Bailey have cast their interpretations into wearable art…